A very slow start for exits Download PitchBook’s Report here. PitchBook’s latest US PE Middle Market Report shows a big drop-off in middle-market exit activity. Only 175 exits were completed in the first quarter, many of which probably started in late 2021. That’s a low number even by pre-COVID standards. When you take out the second…
Venture debt funds ready to step in Venture debt is a niche product that could serves as an alternative fundraising option for high growth companies, particularly in the technology sector, that may be struggle over the next few years given the correction underway in technology stocks and venture capital. A total of $15bn has been…
Tough talk on DE&I LPs are now asking questions of their managers, who, in turn, are waking up to the impact of diversity on performance. Private debt is still at the beginning of its DE&I journey. According to Diversity Review in Corporate Credit, a 2020 paper by specialist credit recruitment company Waterman Stern, just 14…
Lower rated credits post largest declines in secondary market Risk assets have come under renewed pressure in recent days as rising inflation has prompted expectations of a more aggressive monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve. Though equities and high yield bonds have been hit more severely, leveraged loans have not escaped market pressure with the…
MM fundraising: “Challenging but not impossible” Download PitchBook’s Report here. PitchBook’s latest US PE Middle Market Report is now out. Many of the overall deal trends mirror those of the broader PE market. One standout figure was early 2022 fundraising, which is off to a slow start. Only 33 middle-market funds closed in Q1, a visibly…
Direct lending funds closing above targets Direct lending funds continue to attract investors, with the average percentage of target size at final close increasing dramatically from 108% in 2019 to 145% YTD 2022. However, the average time taken to raise a fund has also increased, from 21 months in 2019 to a record high of…
Business services: reliability amid volatility ‘Safe and steady’ is a tag that might be readily applied to the sector, and that’s just fine as far as investors are concerned. Alongside technology and healthcare, business services has emerged as a go-to sector for credit funders attracted by its reliable cashflows and sticky customer relationships. But unlike…
Buyout loan issuance has slowed Download PitchBook’s Report here. Leveraged loan issuance slowed noticeably in Q2, according to PitchBook’s latest Quantitative Perspectives: US PE enters a new regime. While still north of historical levels, the rolling sum fell to almost $118 billion in the second quarter, down from almost $150 billion just a quarter ago. Prior…
Distressed debt funds witness dry powder build-up post Covid-19 recession Dry powder for distressed debt globally has been growing over the past decade. In September 2021, dry powder made up 35% of the total distressed debt AUM – higher than its historical 10-year average of 32%. This build-up is likely due to the record capital…
Claiming a bigger slice for alternatives A new study suggests its time for portfolio allocators to make some changes in the face of economic headwinds. A recent piece of analysis from KKR suggests that the classic 60/40 stocks/bonds portfolio construction model may have had its day in the face of a challenging new environment. The…